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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474718">Only Bad Examples</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Last_Rhodeo/pseuds/Last_Rhodeo'>Last_Rhodeo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I'd Believe It Fic Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Autistic Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Blow Jobs, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Neurodiversity, Not Beta Read, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Slice of Life, showering together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:27:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Last_Rhodeo/pseuds/Last_Rhodeo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: A spin-off story of “If You Made the Plan I’d Believe It”—fic expands Felix &amp; Sylvain’s Christmas Holiday in Wales, where they’ve gone to help Miklan &amp; Glenn move in together. Works as a stand-alone story.</p>
<p>Excerpt: There was so much time between now and when he’d be off the train. He had so much time to sit with the terrible sticky feeling that had accumulated, clenching in his chest, spreading out into his limbs. A feeling like rotting—anxiety, he realised. He felt it everywhere—this awful uncertainty. His mind turned in perilous loops over what his mother had said, collaging with memories of Sylvain:<br/>Sylvain doing homework next to him in the library, Sylvian carefully combing through his hair as they watched a film together on his bed. “It must be confusing and painful, don’t you think?” His mother’s words echoed. He thought of Sylvain holding him tightly together when he’d been sure he’d unravel, whispering reverent affirmations into his neck. “To reject him and continue to take up all his time?” Felix remembered the slide of his lips against Sylvain’s. The hunger that often pulled them together in the dark. Was that rejection? No. They did what they wanted because they both wanted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Glenn Fraldarius/Miklan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I'd Believe It Fic Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2003590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Only Bad Examples</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the barest amount of context read the Wales section(s) in Chapter 2, possibly the Wales section in Chapter 3 (for chapter 2 of this fic) of the original fic. Again, I’m pretty sure it’s not necessary though.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Felix hated public transit—especially trains. It was crowded, fast-paced, and loud on the loading platforms. It was difficult to read signs and maps and tickets when there were so many other things competing for his attention—the piercing screech and strong wind that blew off of incoming trains, the smell of the engine and nearby takeaway places, and the mob of bodies that seemingly moved with a singular mind he wasn’t privy to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the end of the winter term and the beginning of many people’s winter holiday, so the train platform was even more crowded than it otherwise would have been. He wanted to put on his ear defenders so badly, but he was currently holding his mobile to his ear, speaking to Sylvain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you at least call your mum to tell her?” Sylvain’s voice sounded small and muffled like he was far away underwater. Felix was supposed to be going home to Inverness, but that just wasn’t possible anymore. He didn’t want to go to Inverness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you do it for me? I don’t want her to yell.” Felix couldn’t take his mother chastising him or asking questions. Not right now. Not when he could barely think about anything but holding himself together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fe, is it too late to make the flight?” Sylvain asked quietly like he didn’t want to be asking. Felix didn’t need to look at the time to know it was, indeed, too late. He remembered his reminder alarm had gone off more than an hour ago, back when he was still paralyzed in his dormitory—his bag packed, the room cleaned and ready for inspection—the panic of not seeing Sylvain for Christmas finally setting in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What if last year was our last Christmas together</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he’d realised, and the idea seared like a brand in his mind. It was still there, pulsing over and over, a throbbing reminder that made him think somehow he actually wouldn’t make it to where Sylvain was. “It is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll have Glenn call her.” Sylvain sighed, “Remind me of the way, Felix, to Cardiff.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix looked down at his train ticket and tried to block out everything else. He did know the way. He’d been before, with Glenn, when Glenn went to visit Miklan before he’d moved there himself. Felix had looked at the map on his phone, he’d repeated the directions in his head like a prayer for the last twenty minutes or so until he realised he had to actually tell someone that he wasn’t getting on the plane. Otherwise, there’d be no one at Cardiff Central Station to pick him up, and then he’d really be in trouble. “I get off at Reading.” His brain struggled to bring up the information Sylvain needed from him, “ I go to platform nine to take GWR towards Swansea. I get off at Cardiff Central.” He finished and felt confident he was correct. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain made a pleased sound, “Good. I’ll see you in three hours. Be safe and tell me when you get on the second train.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix swallowed. Sylvain’s voice was excited, he wasn’t annoyed as Glenn had been. “I will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Fe,” Sylvain said, in place of goodbye. Felix hated goodbyes of any kind—Sylvian knew that. They were uncomfortable and unnecessary—</span>
  <em>
    <span>why say anything at all when we’ll be together soon?</span>
  </em>
  <span> This, at least, was better than a goodbye, but Sylvain’s words made his face heat up and he felt a thick, sticky feeling clogging up his chest and throat that made it even harder to think and speak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” he managed to get out, then ended the call. The train was coming and he needed to get on his ear defenders before he became too overstimulated to function at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did manage to pull them up over his ears before the next train entered the station, but he still felt that cloying, dense feeling weighing on him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is it shame?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Did he feel guilty about not going to Inverness? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Felix thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I want this.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Maybe it was simply the stress of changing plans. Even if it was a good change, a change was still difficult, unwelcomed, burdensome. The feeling remained, nevertheless, as he boarded his train and found a quieter place to sit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Navigating to the next train wasn’t as difficult as Felix had feared, and when he was settled in his new seat he got out his phone and texted Sylvain. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>To Syl (12:47): </b>
  <em>
    <span>okay, I’m on the second train </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>From Syl (12:48): </b>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>let me know when you’re closer to Cardiff, like 15-20 mins from the station </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Glenn and I are getting a bite while we wait for you. Mik is coming to meet us as well. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>To Syl (12:48): </b>
  <em>
    <span>okay</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just as Felix was going to pocket his mobile, his screen flashed with an incoming call from his mother. He swallowed hard and hesitated over the button before accepting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix,” she said, her voice was already quite loud, so Felix moved the phone a bit away from his ear to lessen the sharp sound. “Felix, are you there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, goodness dear, and you’re on the second train then? Glenn messaged me you were—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why are you—?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because, Felix, dear, this was very irresponsible of you. Why aren’t you coming home? I thought you didn’t want to help with the move?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I don’t—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why are you—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to see Sylvain,” Felix bit out harshly, interrupting her. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it, she wouldn’t like that. She never liked it when he made decisions based on Sylvain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” his mother said and then was quiet for a few moments. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I hang up?” Felix asked impatiently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-no, I’m, I was just thinking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix, dear, we’ve talked about this—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Felix interjected, “I know, but this—I don’t know if—this could be the last—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s wonderful that you’re so close to Sylvain. And he clearly cares about you and values your friendship. But darling, you can’t keep—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But he asked me to go with him. He asked and I said no. But it was a mistake. I was too worried about school. And I thought it would be boring and annoying, but...He wants me there too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His mother sighed, “Alright. There’s nothing we can change right now, but you need to think about how your actions impact others. How your actions impact Sylvain. If you don’t learn how to be without him, how are you going to handle it when Sylvain makes other friends, goes on dates, gets married? He can’t give you all his time forever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We already talked about if he gets a girlfriend—he doesn’t—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He will start dating eventually, Felix, you need to be prepared. If you care about him, then let him have his space. Okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glenn didn’t leave Miklan alone,” Felix whispered, “when Miklan had a girlfriend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix,” his mother spoke with something in her tone Felix couldn’t identify, “that’s different…they’re romantic partners. You and Sylvian are friends. Friends have…different rules.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not saying that how Glenn did things was right, or what Miklan did was right for that matter, but it’s different between them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix’s voice felt tight, “What if things…weren’t…different with Syl and me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix,” his mother asked slowly, “do you want to have a romantic relationship with Sylvain? Do you—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I—I want things to stay as they are, but-but I know Sylvain wants things—different—more. He keeps saying he-he l-loves m-me and—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh Felix, darling,” his mother sighed deeply, “I’m sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-why are y-you s-s-sorry?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’re upset and confused, darling. It’s okay, you don’t have to go along with what Sylvain wants. Just because you’re so close doesn’t mean that—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I know! I’m n-not! I’m doing what I want to do. Only what I want to do. I t-told him to get a girlfriend even, b-but he won’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, maybe that’s because you’re sending him mixed signals.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mixed signals? What—H-how?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You tell him you want him to date someone else, but here you are, going to spend Christmas with him and making him visit you every chance he gets. He should be spending his weekends in Oxford with his University mates, not at Radley with you. It must be confusing and painful, don’t you think? To reject him and continue to take up all his personal time?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix shook his head and moved his legs up and onto the seat so that he could fold over closer together, “No. No. It’s not like that—it’s—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix, Felix, dear, it is though. It’s unfair to him. Please try to see that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Not, it’s not like that at all!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix, please try to calm down. Maybe…maybe we can talk more about this later, okay? You can’t be shouting on the train.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded silently and hung up the phone, shoving it in his pocket. He put back on his ear defenders and curled up completely in the tiny train car seat, leaning his head against the dirty window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was so much time between now and when he’d be off the train. He had so much time to sit with the terrible sticky feeling that had accumulated, clenching in his chest, spreading out into his limbs. A feeling like rotting—</span>
  <em>
    <span>anxiety</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he realised. He felt it everywhere—this awful uncertainty. His mind turned in perilous loops over what his mother had said, collaging with memories of Sylvain:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain doing homework next to him in the library, Sylvian carefully combing through his hair as they watched a film together on his bed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It must be confusing and painful, don’t you think?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> His mother’s words echoed. He thought of Sylvain holding him tightly together when he’d been sure he’d unravel, whispering reverent affirmations into his neck.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “To reject him and continue to take up all his time?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Felix remembered the slide of his lips against Sylvain’s. The hunger that often pulled them together in the dark. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was that rejection? No.</span>
  </em>
  <span> They did what they wanted because they both wanted. It was the arrangement they’d made so long ago. Sylvain was always, always by his side. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He wants to be</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Felix reminded himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that his mum was wrong. If Sylvian wanted a girlfriend, he could get one. They’d already agreed. And he wasn’t hurting Sylvain—they’d agreed not to do that either. But he couldn’t shake the doubt his mother had ignited within him, and his mind burned with the thought, just as much as it burned to be reunited with Sylvain. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Felix had fallen asleep in his hunched position on the train and awoke to his mobile buzzing. He blearily looked down at the lock screen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>From Syl (15:20): </b>
  <em>
    <span>heads up, Glenn and Mik had a fight so they’re gonna be in a weird mood when you get here. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Felix opened messenger and stared at Sylvain’s words for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, they’d had a flight</span>
  </em>
  <span>—that wasn’t new or notable to Felix. He’d be surprised if there was a moment the entire trip when they weren’t arguing. It was part of the reason he hadn’t wanted to be there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>To Syl (15:22): </b>
  <em>
    <span>okay </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>From Syl (15:22):</b>
  <em>
    <span> it was bad. also they’re also a touch sozzled  </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>To Syl (15:23): </b>
  <em>
    <span>unsurprising</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Felix hesitated over the keys, before sending: </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>see you soon</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shoved his mobile in his pocket and sat up properly in the seat. Felix looked out of the window next to him and watched the landscape blur together as he let his eyes unfocus. It didn’t feel like a long time before the overhead was announcing his stop. And then he was collecting his roller bag and leaving the train, stepping onto the platform in Cardiff Central Station. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix scanned the herd of bodies coming, going, and waiting, looking for the familiar red shock of Sylvain’s hair. As soon as he spotted the group—his brother frowning, his arms crossed, his long wavy hair plaited in a single braid; Miklan towering over everyone around him, looking almost supernaturally large and sinister with his dark auburn hair curling round his face, partially obscuring his stern features, and Sylvain—Sylvain was running toward him, duffle bouncing awkwardly on his back as he shouted, “Fe!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And all Felix could do was open his arms to receive Sylvain in a hard embrace. Felix inhaled deeply as he pressed his face into Sylvian’s sternum. It smelled right—familiar and warm. “I missed you so much,” Sylvain mumbled into his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix pulled back enough to look up towards Sylvain’s face, “I saw you two weekends ago.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Sylvain sighed, “it was almost too long to bear.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix pushed Sylvain off of him completely, “No it wasn’t. We’ve been apart for much longer than two weekends before.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that was torture too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Felix would have said something else, but Glenn and Miklan had finally caught up, and so all Felix did was frown at Sylvain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We all set?” Glenn asked and Felix nodded. His brother knew better than to try to hug him hello. Glenn turned sharply on his heels, “Mik, how far away did you park?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, now we’re speaking,” Miklan huffed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can take the bus home instead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fucking shite, Glenn, I said I was sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I heard you say it. Where are you parked?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At the bloody station car park, you prat, where else would I’ve parked?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How the fuck could I’ve known that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain pressed his hand into Felix’s lower back, nudging him forward as Glenn and Miklan bickered and walked away from where they’d been standing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could have a little faith in me, love,” Miklan reached for Glenn’s elbow, but Glenn shooed him off with a small shove.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that—I don’t want to hear that out of your mouth right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain gripped Felix closer into his side and pressed a small peck into the top of his head. “You want me to carry your roller bag?” Sylvian said softly, shifting his mouth to be level with Felix’s ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’ve got it,” Felix replied, stiffening at the sensation of Sylvain’s breath on his sensitive skin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Glenn lived in a red brick townhouse that could be triangulated by the University of Wales Hospital, Cathay’s Cemetery, and Maitland Park. It was late afternoon by the time they dropped Sylvain and Felix off so they could settle with their belongings, while Miklan and Glenn packed up more of Miklan’s flat for a few hours before dinner. Felix was sure it was a good idea to get away from them while they sorted out whatever Miklan had done to upset Glenn. He figured it was something worse than usual from what he’d observed between the two thus far. And he didn’t want to be privy to more of the fight or their inevitable makeup than was strictly necessary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood on the pavement outside Glenn’s townhouse, Sylvain unlocking the door with the keys Glenn had tossed him moments before, Felix looking down the long double row of nearly uniform houses. The grey clouds had parted to reveal a pale, winter blue sky, and he had to squint and shield his eyes from the glimmer. Felix thought about how if he had gone home to Scotland like he was supposed to he’d have been locked away in his room for hours by now. But he didn’t regret it—home was nice, of course, and he missed the peaceful familiarity of his childhood bedroom—because here, at least, he had Sylvain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix snapped his head back at the sound of Sylvain pushing the door open, “Ready?” Sylvain asked, gesturing towards the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain smiled and held the door open behind him so Felix could drag his roller bag inside the small foyer. “You know where we’re supposed to stay?” Felix asked, looking up the narrow wooden staircase before them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, there’s a second bedroom upstairs with a sleeper sofa,” Sylvain pointed up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, okay. We’re sharing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That a problem?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix scoffed, “No. We always share.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain flashed a bright smile, “Just checking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made their way up the narrow staircase—Sylvain insisted on bringing up Felix’s bag after he knocked it into the wall and scuffed the paint—and into the smaller room at the back of the house.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain worked on pulling out the sofa and setting up the linens and things while Felix settled himself in the space by unpacking his belongings into the wardrobe. The room was simple and beige, nothing much in there save the sofa, wardrobe, and a few unpacked boxes of Miklan’s stuff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you wanna do while we wait for them?” Sylvain asked, pulling the corner of the sheet over the mattress. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Felix muttered, “I’m a bit knackered from all the travelling.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I figured. I’m a little worn out too from dealing with…the happy couple,” he said, smoothing out the wrinkles on the sheet.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix laughed, “Checks out.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain patted the thin mattress, “Let’s take a nap then?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix shrugged, “Yeah, okay. But we should set an alarm so we can shower before dinner.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain nodded, “I can do that. I’ll set a timer for thirty minutes. Ten minutes to settle, twenty minutes nap. Then we can clean up.” He drew his phone out of his pocket to set the timer and then laid it down on the end table next to the sofa bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix inclined his head in question, “Ten minutes to settle?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain kicked off his shoes and lay down on the bed, “Yeah, you going to fall asleep instantly?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I... I just wonder about your calculation.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded and reached down to slide off his own shoes, “In my experience, it always takes you way longer than ten minutes to fall asleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain placed his hands behind his head and grinned, “Maybe I’m really tired.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix kneeled onto the bed, and it squeaked under their combined weight, “I thought you might be more distracted than tired. I seem to remember you saying something about being tortured by my absence?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come here then,” Sylvain said softly, removing his hands from behind his head to grab at Felix. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shifted forwards on his hands and knees and moved to straddle Sylvain’s legs. With one hand Felix reached to undo the loose bun he kept his hair in, letting his blue-black locks fall down his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So pretty,” Sylvain mumbled, pushing a few strands of hair behind Felix’s ear. “Maybe I am a little too distracted to fall asleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When your timer goes off, then we’ll nap,” Felix said, bringing Sylvain’s hand down from his face to press the palm over his quickening heart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Sylvain breathed, barely audible as he smoothed his hand down Felix’s chest, “nap later.” Sylvain pushed himself up from his reclining position and pulled Felix more fully onto his lap, wrapping heavy hands on his hips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix hated the way the bed squeaked and shifted underneath them, but he did his best to push the sound out of his head as Sylvain pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He had missed this, maybe a little desperately he realised, as he kissed Sylvain back more urgently than Sylvain had begun. But Sylvain was easy to stir up, and he quickly parted his lips to deepen their kiss as he tugged Felix’s shirt out of his trousers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me touch you,” Sylvain whined as Felix pulled back at the brush of Sylvain’s cold fingers over his warm skin, “I wanna be closer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded and peeled off his shirt, “You too,” he said, tossing it to the floor. Sylvain complied, and when the garment was out of the way, Felix pushed Sylvain back onto the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Somehow I don’t think this is going to help us fall asleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix shook his head, “Not right now, but when you orgasm, oxytocin and vasopressin get released and—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Sylvain laughed, “I get it—you wanna make me cum before the clock runs out?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That much I thought was obvious.” Felix leaned down to press a kiss into Sylvian’s collar bone, dragging his hand up to cup the pectoral muscle of one side. “It’s not too much of a challenge.” He kissed slowly down Sylvain’s chest as he teased the nipple with a finger, painting featherlight circles over the areola. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain shuttered under his ministrations, and Felix pulled back, smirking. He shifted his hand, dragging his finger down Sylvian’s abdomen and stopping at the top of his trousers. Felix undid the zipper, pushing aside the cloth to palm Sylvain through his smalls. And Sylvain, half-hard in anticipation, moaned at the contact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Put your hands up,” Felix said, as he pulled down Sylvain’s smalls with his trousers, exposing him fully, “behind your head again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t want me to touch you?” Sylvain said breathily, as he complied while Felix teased his cockhead with a single finger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can touch me later. Right now we’re on a schedule,” Felix looked up at Sylvain as he spoke, dragging his gaze over his friend’s flushed face. He looked beautiful, Felix thought, on his back, hands resting behind his head, his lips kiss bitten and puffy. Felix pressed three of his fingers into his own mouth, coating them with saliva. “You look so good like this,” Felix murmured, as he moved his newly damped fingers over Sylvian’s shaft, “I want to mess you up more.”   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain glanced at the end table where the timer was silently counting down, “t-twenty m-minutes, Fe,” he bit out as Felix began to stroke over him fully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix licked his lips, “Plenty of time.” Then he shifted down Sylvain’s legs so he could take him into his mouth. Felix licked lazily around the tip while he slid his fingers loosely around the shaft and let his spit pool down Sylvain’s dick. Felix remembered a time when he thought oral sex was a lot to keep track of. It had been too much sensory information—the smell, the taste, the sound of his own mouth working—and the multiple movements and patterns of his fingers and mouth to memorize. Now, it felt like a finely tuned skill—one he’d taken immense pleasure in perfecting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix knew just how to make Sylvian come apart. He knew how to make it last or how to speed things along. Since it had been, as Sylvian himself put it, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>torturously long time</span>
  </em>
  <span> since they’d been together, Felix knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back for long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“F-fuck, Fe, s-saints,” Sylvain choked out as Felix took more of his dick into his mouth and began to suck it in earnest, “I-I wanna—y-you f-feel—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix glanced up to see Sylvain writhing, grasping at the pillows by his head. He pulled off Sylvian with a harsh pop, saliva trailing from his lips, “I thought of a better use for your hands. You want to hear it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain groaned and nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold my hair back,” Felix said, still slowly stroking over Sylvian with one hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain shifted into a half reclined position, hungrily reaching out to pull Felix’s hair into a loose ponytail as Felix moved his mouth to cover Sylvian’s groin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain loosed a moan Felix’s renewed efforts and tugged his hair tightly back. It hurt to be yanked around by the hair, but Felix felt the discomfort was worth the reward of Sylvain’s unadulterated pleasure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wouldn’t be much longer, Felix realised, as Sylvain’s panting quickened and little breathy whispers of, “Fe,” and “Fuck,” feel unbidden from his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix pressed his tongue flat along the frenulum before manoeuvring it over the head and against the slit—moving anyway he could think of as Sylvain’s own sounds of pleasure drove him mad with desire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fe—Fe, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna,” Sylvain gasped, winding his hand tighter around Felix’s hair, trying to pull him off. But Felix gripped Sylvain’s hip with his free hand to brace himself against the force. Felix moaned on Sylvain’s dick as he worked to push Sylvain deeper into his throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain came with a low groan, releasing down Felix’s throat, and Felix held true to swallow it down. At last, Felix pulled off and licked his lips. “No mess, and with time to spare.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain moaned, “You’re so fucking hot, I can’t take it. Let me—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix covered Sylvian’s mouth in an open-mouthed kiss, licking into it so Sylvain could taste himself. Sylvian pulled Felix down onto him, clinging desperately to his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So much for sleep adjacent chemicals,” Sylvain said between the press of their mouths. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just until the timer,” Felix gasped as Sylvain shifted his hands to grip his ass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure about that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded against Sylvian's neck, “Y-yes. L-later, you can fuck me later.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want me now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do, I do,” Felix whined, “but there’s not enough time to do everything I want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain’s grip loosened and he shifted to massage Felix’s rear, making up for the rough way he’d grabbed it moments before, “Okay Fe, we don’t have to do anything else.” Then he slid his arms up his back, pressing comfortingly there and there along his spine. They slowed down, gently and together, pressing sweeter kisses into each other’s mouths. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the alarm went off, vibrating the end table. Felix huffed and rolled off of Sylvian so he could silence the alarm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvian rolled over and restarted the timer. “Shall we try to nap now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix nodded and shifted back into Sylvain’s arms, “Yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain wrapped one arm snuggly around Felix and carded his other hand through his hair. Felix shifted a leg between Sylvain’s and inhaled deeply, letting his breathing settle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Syl,” Felix murmured after a long moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I missed you too.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain’s alarm blared, shaking the end table, and Sylvain groaned, pulling Felix into a closer embrace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In their nap, they’d shifted into spooning, Sylvain’s arms wrapped tightly about Felix’s torso, his face blanketed by sable coloured locks.  “Syl, turn it off,” Felix whined, kicking back against him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah,” Sylvain nuzzled his face down and into Felix’s back, “it’ll turn off on its own.” But then, after one more tight squeeze, Sylvain loosened his arms and pushed himself up to silence the alarm. “Did you wanna shower first?” Sylvain asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Felix felt his face heat up, “I was thinking we’d do it together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Sylvain cocked his head, “I thought that was too couple-y for—,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix quickly covered Sylvain’s mouth with his hand, “Shut up! I don’t mean it in a couple-y way…I mean it in the like when we were kids way…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain wiggled his eyebrows and then pressed his tongue into Felix’s palm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gross,” Felix chastised as he pulled his hand away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s called being childish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You never licked me when we were kids.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Sylvain agreed, “you would’ve hated it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate it now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain laughed and pulled the offended hand back up to his mouth where he pressed a kiss into it, “I’m fairly certain you like my saliva most places now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Given the proper context,” Felix agreed neutrally as he took his hand away, “you want to take a shower with me or what?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay. But don’t be surprised if seeing you naked gets me a little riled up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix shook his head, moving to get out of bed, “I know you can control yourself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I can,” Sylvain sputtered, a flush colouring his cheeks, “just, ah, whatever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvian swung his legs over the bedside and reached for his duffle which he had left unpacked, and rummaged through the contents looking for his toiletry bag. Felix walked to the wardrobe and grabbed the bag where he’d left it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain nodded as he rose from the bed, “Yep.” They were both still half-dressed—Felix in his trousers, and Sylvain only in his smalls from their earlier activities. Sylvain playfully bumped against Felix, who merely scowled in answer, as they walked the short stretch down the hall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you were feeling nostalgic—you don’t want to play fight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Felix shook his head, “You’re impossible,” he huffed as he pushed open the bathroom door. The room was abysmal in size and the shower stall alone accounted for nearly a quarter of the space. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Going to be a close fit,” Sylvain said cheerily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No roughhousing in the bath.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No roughhousing anywhere with you,” Sylvain mock-pouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not entirely true,” Felix replied, shucking his trousers off onto the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain snorted. Felix watched as Sylvain peeled off his own garment and focused his attention on the tap. “All set, then,” he sighed as the tiny room began to fill with steam. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They climbed into the shower stall, Felix’s front against Sylvain’s back so that the steady stream of water was interrupted in a more manageable stream. “Thank you,” Felix said, as he lathered soap into his scalp, “for being taller.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain laughed and turned his head to look at Felix, “Can’t say I had much of a hand in it but—,” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still. It’s a kind of small miracle—how you are,” Felix turned his back to Sylvain so he could rinse the lather from his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain shook his head and turned back to washing himself, “I don’t know what to say to that, Fe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix sighed at the feeling of the stream surrounding, the smell of Sylvian’s familiar soaps, the rush of the water in his ears, “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they got back to their room, they heard the front door open downstairs and the soft murmur of voices. “They’re back already?” Sylvain said in disbelief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you expect them to actually get much packing done?” Felix asked, “They were practically at blows when they dropped us off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain sighed, pulling off his towel and dropping it on the bed, “I guess. You can take your time up here if you want. I’ll go down and check out the situation.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re sure you want to deal with them on your own.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better than you,” Sylvain rummaged through his duffle and grabbed a fresh pair of smalls, “and besides, I signed up for this trip.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix considered as he walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh change of clothes, “Okay,” and after a moment more, “Thanks.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t mention it.” Sylvain threw on a sweater and jeans on the other side of the room before crossing back to the doorway, “I’ll text you if it’s safe to come down.” </span>
</p>
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